- Angela De Palma-Dow
- Posted On
Lady of the Lake: The science of scary water
Dear Lady of the Lake,
Do you have any spooky or scary stories to tell about Lakes or Clear Lake? It’s the season, afterall. Thank you for your column!
— Looking for Lake Lore Laura
Dear Laura,
Thank you for reaching out about this! It is the spooky season and it's a great time to share stories and haunted legends about lakes. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have a library on haunted stories about Clear Lake, but I am compiling that list with the help of some local friends!
First I will describe some of the science behind water, and why, in its basic elemental form, it has so much perceived potential to be linked to the paranormal. This column will merge the science with the spiritual, if you will. Feel free to explore more of the science on your own, and take what you want of the spiritual, if you believe in that sort of thing, of course.
Water and energy
You may have heard many things that refer to water as special, in particular, the water molecule is unique. It is polar, meaning it has both negative (oxygen atom) and positive (hydrogen atoms) charges, and due to this polarity water molecules can bond strongly with other polar molecules, including other waters.
Water is so strongly attached to itself that it can dissolve substances like sugars and salts. That’s a main reason why it’s so valuable to human, animal, and plant metabolisms - the water molecules can dissolve and bind needed nutrients and mobilize them through blood and plant tissues.
When water moves from state to state, energy becomes released or absorbed, which can influence the environment directly in the vicinity of the water. Think of humidity and warmth when water is heated.
Because a water molecule is so strongly attached to itself, it’s very hard to break apart, and requires a high boiling point to change from a liquid to a gas. During this process, the water bonds are broken and free oxygen and hydrogen atoms are released into the atmosphere as steam. This is related to the specific heat of water.
Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat needed to increase 1 gram 1 degree Celsius. How much heat it takes to heat one degree is also called heat capacity with good reason. It takes a lot of energy to break these bonds and heat water to a change of state. Anyone who has boiled a pot of water on an old, electric stove top knows, it takes a lot of time and energy to heat water to 100 degrees Celsius or boiling!
In contrast, the forming of bonds releases energy. The cooling and condensation of steam creates water, forms the water molecule, which releases energy such as heat. Maybe this is why cool damp places are known to have higher spooky, haunted activity, because the ongoing condensation condition provides ample excess energy for spirits to tap into? Maybe?
Since it takes so much energy to heat water, water is known to hold heat very well, and is rather stable to changing temperatures. That’s why during the first few cold weeks of the fall or winter season, the lake is still relatively warm in temperature, compared to the air.
When the water surface is warmer than the air, the water evaporates and as it cools in the air, it condenses and turns into fog droplets. This cycle will continue until the day temperatures have warmed to match the surface water temps or, in some parts of the Country, the lake freezes over.
This fog layer, called steam fog, when combined with turbulent winds that push across the water, produce whirling, spiraling, steam or fog devils (similar to dust devils).
What a perfect scene, this eerie, misty fog that settles during autumn over lakes, making spectral and mysterious stories of the deep that much more believable!
Energy of water and potential for paranormal
So we learned that water contains energy, and it either releases or absorbs energy when changing the state of water.
This ties into the first law of thermodynamics that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, so if water holds energy, and there is a change of state that releases that energy, then that energy has to go somewhere. Here enters the theory that the energy contained in water helps to serve as a conduit for the paranormal activity. With the science explained, we can see how and why water has been used to emphasize and accentuate stories of the unexplained.
Additional theories suggest that mineral waters, which are salts dissolved in water, act as an electric conduit, making the movement and mobilization of “spiritual” energy easier, much like electrical energy or electrical conductivity. But does the idea of salted water being a paranormal pathway really hold water?
Think the Bermuda triangle, the area between the island of Bermuda, Miami,FL and San Jaun, Puerto Rico, which is responsible for an unusually large number of unexplained disappearances of ships and planes. In the ocean, there are many myths and legends about ghost ships, sunken and lost cities, haunting singing sirens, and sailors who saw mythical creatures, while at sea.
Is this the result of water as a conduit to another ghostly world due to its special, chemical properties? Or just fantastical fiction because the larger and darker a body of water, the more spooky space our imaginations can travel? I will let you decide.
Should you need more explanation about the physics about ghosts being able, or not being able to, use the energy around us, I would strongly suggest this blog post by Pancake Gravy on “The Thermodynamics of Ghost Hunting.” Very well written, scientifically prudent, and interesting. Full disclosure and warning, warning you, it is maximum level nerd-fodder.
Spiritual and Healing properties of water
Of course water has been associated with positive, spiritual healing acoss space and time, among practically every culture that has existed near a hot, or healing spring. In addition to the need for freshwater for drinking and cooking, indigenous cultures around the world, from the Maori on New Zealand’s Lake Rotorua, to the Greenlandic Inuits and Dasko Island, and tribes throughout North and South America, all held hot springs in high regard and relied on them for spiritual and domestic purposes.
Healing springs are even a staple of past and current Lake County tourism! In western civilization, the tales around healing springs included the idea that ailments, illnesses, sicknesses, even human disabilities like blindness, could be healed simply by visiting and dipping in the blessed water believed to be magic, or containing special properties to heal.
At the time, the healing properties of springs were considered magic, or a gift from god, or a higher, divine force. Of course now we know that there were many logical reasons that people felt healed and healthier after indulging in the springs.
Usually hot or cold healing springs were located in remote rural or mountain locations, or desert retreats. Once people left the crowded, cramped, urban areas, they were less likely to share germs, or breathe in stuffy air that was congested with oil and wood smoke from the indoor burning of candles and fires. Anyone would undoubtedly feel better after leaving that environment, even if you had to endure a 6 week wagon or buggy ride!
Additionally, the water sources from these springs, usually artisan, were filtered after percolating through the ground and were not contaminated by human or animal feces, as most the surface and well water sources near busy urban centers were before proper water sanitation treatments were employed.
Another thing to consider is that usually springs, and hot springs more often, contain sulfur, salts and other minerals. Hot springs improve many functions of the human condition, including increased circulation, improve blood flow, softens and exfoliates skin, and the antifungal and antibacterial properties of hot springs mineral waters would help to rid the body of any lice, parasites, and skin irritations.
Before bathtubs and showers were in every house, most people didn’t bathe that often, so a deep, rejuvenating warm bath that lasted over a week or month-long visit at the hot springs obviously did wonders to improve the general health of the visitors.
Today, we still can see, and feel, the health benefits, from a good hot spring treatment, and some even use cold plunges as a way to improve inflammation and muscle soreness, among other benefits.
Haunted Lakes and other bodies of water
Now that we have investigated the science behind water, and how it might, or might not, be associated with paranormal activities, I wanted to share three small stories about haunted lakes and water bodies.
Lake Morena, the most remote reservoir in San Diego County, is reportedly the most haunted lake in California. Part of the San Diego County Park System, is a family-friendly location for camping, boating, fishing, and hiking. The hauntings include campers hearing footsteps outside their cabins and tents, but not discovering any prints the next morning and floating apparitions of babies in white gowns.
Theories suggest that the spirits are angry villagers that were killed during the floods of 1916 because of Charles Hatfield, or the “Rainmaker” activities. This connection might be a stretch, but regardless, the legends and stories of Lake Morena live on and continue to this day.
This next one, The Brookdale Lodge, is not about a lake, but about a hotel in the Santa Cruz mountains that is famous for being built on top of a bubbling brook. Perhaps the constantly flowing creek water provides the spirits the energy they need to give this location as one of the most haunted hotels in California.
The Brook Room was built around the bubbling Clear Creek, which apparently is the only one like it in the world. Apparently, a previous owners niece died by falling into the stream, and several other reported deaths on the property contribute to the activity and stories. <>
The Lodge is also famous for visiting celebrity guests such as Herbert Hoover, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and others. Could the stream, with its continuous flow of ambiance and energy be helping the spirits live on at Brookdale?
Santa Cruz isn’t too far a drive from Lake County, perhaps one day we will find out.
The last story I will share is about Lake Tahoe. This story is sourced from the Haunted Lakes book by E.S. Evans even though there are apparently many myths and legends about our deep sister lake to the east.
The haunted story is really quite sad, about Lotta Crabtree and her husband John, who were deeply in love and lived on Lake Tahoe. One day John never came home and Lotta spent the rest of her life searching for him, until she passed on. The haunting stories usually involve a woman in white on the shores of the Lake looking for someone. Could this spirit be Lotta looking for her lost love?
Of note: When I searched for “Actress Lotta Crabtree” on wikipedia, it reported she never married and died in Boston in 1924.
So, Laura, I hope you have enjoyed some of the science behind scary water and these few lake lore and water-centric ghost stories. As I mentioned, I am building up my haunted tales for Clear Lake which I hope to be able to share with you in future years during this very chilling time of year.
Sincerely,
Lady of the Lake
Angela De Palma-Dow is a limnologist (limnology = study of fresh inland waters) who lives and works in Lake County. Born in Northern California, she has a Master of Science from Michigan State University. She is a Certified Lake Manager from the North American Lake Management Society, or NALMS, and she is the current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..